MPS Health and Safety induction presentation

School of Mathematical & Physical SciencesSafety Induction – Employees, Students and Visitors

Do you feel safe in here now?

Why?

Who is responsible for your safety?

IntroductionThe University of Sussex and the School of Mathematical & Physical

Sciences have safety policies and systems in place to ensure the

provision of a healthy and safe environment in which to work and study.

Everyone on the University premises has a duty:

• To comply with University Health and Safety policy

• To follow the appropriate safety systems and procedures

• To look after their own safety and that of others

• To not interfere with/misuse things provided in the interests of health,

safety and welfare (eg moving fire extinguishers, blocking escape

routes)

School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences

Safety Induction – Employees, Students and Visitors

Legal Health and Safety Responsibilities

(Or what can happen if we don’t maintain a safe working environment)

Civil Law (rights and duties to one another):

Duty to take reasonable care

Breaches – liable for damages/compensation

Criminal Law (offences against the state):

Statutory duty to comply with all relevant health and safety legislation

Breaches - prosecution and possible fines and/or imprisonment



Who is who in Health and Safety in MPS

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor,

has overall responsibility for safety at the

University. He delegates responsibility to the

various heads of school and heads of departments.

Professor Philip Harris, Head of School,

has overall responsibility for the safety of the School.



Who is who in Health and Safety in MPS

School Health and Safety Co-ordinators are delegated by the Head

of School to undertake certain responsibilities:

Gemma Harman, School Administrator (starting 12/2/18)

Cassandra Churchwell, Technical & Administrative Manager,

Radiation protection supervisor

Marco Peccianti, Laser Safety Officer



In An Emergency

Call 3333 from an internal phone or 01273 873333 from

a place of safety and give Security as much information

as you can about the emergency:

• Location

• Type of emergency (eg gas leak )

• If there are, or may be, injured people



First Aid

If you require first aid assistance or come across

someone who does:

Call 3333 from an internal phone

or 01273 873333 (from a mobile)

The University mobile first aid team will attend as quickly

as possible.



Reporting of Accidents and Incidents

When?

All accidents and incidents should be reported as soon as possible.

In the case of accidents, this is to ensure that appropriate first aid can be

administered where required, the area can be made safe, any relevant

lessons can be learned and similar occurrences prevented in future.

If you see a hazard and report it quickly, we may be able to prevent an

accident from occurring – even a near-miss should be reported.

Who To?

Your Lab Supervisor or School Health and Safety Co-ordinator, who will

complete an online accident form giving details of the accident or hazard.



Fire Safety

Familiarise yourself with:

Local fire exits, Alternative escape route(s) and Assembly areas;

www.sussex.ac.uk/hso/specialist/firesafety/fireevac

Location of Fire extinguishers and Alarm call points

In case of fire:

On hearing the fire alarm, evacuate and report to assembly point

Do not use lifts to evacuate the building

Do not re-enter the building until advised to do so.

Regular unannounced fire drills will be carried out



http://www.sussex.ac.uk/hso/specialist/firesafety/fireevac

Assembly points

There are assembly points around the campus:

Following emergency evacuation from Pevensey 2 or 3 buildings, please:

• Exit via a designated fire exit

• Make your way to the front of Pevensey 2 at the bottom of the steps

• Safely cross the road to stand outside

Chichester lecture theatre



From:

www.sussex.ac.uk/hso/healthandsafety/fire/fireassemblyandcontrolpoints

Default assembly point for Pevensey 2

Currently the ‘official’

assembly point for

Pevensey 2.

Other assembly points around Pevensey. If you use these,

it is unlikely that anyone will come to give you the ‘all clear’.

You should walk around to the default assembly point.

If You Discover A Fire

Sound the alarm;

Never put yourself at risk!

•Do not attempt to extinguish the fire unless you are specifically trained to

do so and the appropriate extinguisher is available.

•If possible, call the emergency number 3333 (or 01273 873333) from a

place of safety and give details of the fire and its location to Security

•Evacuate and report to the Fire Control Point – front of Pevensey 2.

•Never allow the fire to get between you and your exit!



Emergency Evacuation

Do not tackle a fire unless you are trained in the use of fire extinguishers

Do not use lifts

Do not re-enter the building until instructed to do so by the person in charge

Fire Alarms

Fire alarm tests in Sciences buildings will be carried out, as follows:

Chichester 1-3 Thursday 9:30

Arundel Thursday 9:30

Pevensey 1-3 Thursday 9:30

If you notice any malfunction of an alarm, please notify your safety

coordinator(s); Cassandra Churchwell – [email protected]

or Gemma Harman (12/2/18+)





Take that fire alarm seriously…

1. It could be a genuine emergency!

Research has shown that the best predictor of survival in a fire is the

time taken to recognize the emergency and move!

2. A well-practised drill saves lives

Example: 9/11

The World Trade Centre, New York, was bombed in both 1993 and

2001. After 1993, they developed a well-practised drill to increase exit

times. If exit times in 2001 were the same as 1993, many more

people would have died.

People requiring assistance

(injured, disabled, etc.)

Make sure you have an escape before helping anyone. It sounds harsh

but, if helping someone else puts you in serious danger, you should save

yourself.

There are ‘safe’ waiting points in the building for disabled people. In

most cases the people in question will know where to go. These are

typically at the landings in the stairwells.

Tell the fire warden where the person is and let the fire brigade help

them out.

Safety SignsAcross the campus look out for signs warning of hazards or giving useful information



BLUE = Compulsory

Failure to comply not only puts you at risk, but also means you’ve

broken the law.

YELLOW = Warning

Failure to take notice could put you at risk.

GREEN = Safety guidance

First Aid, Emergency Exits, Assembly points

RED = Prohibitive or Fire

Risk Assessment‘A planned process during which hazards are identified and the extent of the risks

involved are evaluated, taking into account existing precautions and their

effectiveness’.

‘Hazard’ – something with the potential to cause harm

‘Risk’ – a combination of the likelihood and potential severity of harm from a

hazard being realised

All activities taking place on campus must be risk assessed and the risks reduced

to an acceptable level, where possible, by means other than personal protective

equipment. Training on assessing risk is available from the Health and Safety

Office.



Manual Handling

Many accidents on campus result from manual handling operations –

moving an object using human effort - including lifting, lowering, pushing,

pulling or carrying.

Always assess the task before you move anything;

Use lifting equipment provided (eg cylinder and sack trolleys );

Seek help, if required, from the Porters (ext 3718, based in Richmond)

Follow this link to view the University Manual Handling Policy and

associated information.

www.sussex.ac.uk/hso/specialist/correctmanualhandling



http://www.sussex.ac.uk/hso/specialist/correctmanualhandling



Manual Handling – Suggested maximum loads

This diagram is only intended as

a guideline and factors such as

age, gender, physical fitness and

environmental conditions should

also be taken into consideration.

There are University-run courses

which will train you in more detail.

If appropriate, your lab supervisor

may ask you to obtain this training.

Hazardous Substances

If you will be using hazardous substances during your work or study, you

should expect specific training on this.

Many staff and students need to wear appropriate and relevant protective

clothing and eyewear to carry out their work and studies. You will receive

information about this, if this applies to you. These requirements are

generally covered in the ‘local rules’ within your lab.



Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Electrical Safety

All electrical equipment on campus should be tested and be electrically

safe – this includes any personal equipment brought on to the premises.

Contact the School Administrator to arrange for testing of electrical

equipment.

Don’t overload sockets.

Avoid the use of extension leads and trailing cables which may present a

trip hazard and are susceptible to damage.

In particular, never ‘daisy-chain’ extension cords. This is a no-no and we

will be cited for it if discovered during a H&S inspection.



Special Equipment Safety

Most laboratories have specialized equipment with specific hazards. In

most cases there will be a separate RA for the equipment, usually

requiring you to undertake some training before using the equipment.

There are special courses for Laser Safety and Radiation work.

It is your duty to follow the local rules, obtain the necessary training and

follow the University guidelines in all cases.



Communicable Diseases:

Please stay home when ill! Call in sick.

Many of us can work from home.

Teaching is a special case: generally, if you can call in

early enough, someone else can cover for you.

Pregnancy and other temporary conditions:

Let us know so we can assist as much as possible. We can

typically assist with a place to rest and other reasonable

adjustments, if you ask.

You may need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Procedure

(PEEP) if your mobility is impaired – eg. if you break a leg.

General Safety Considerations:

Walk, don't run.

Be especially vigilant on stairs.

Make sure you can see where you are going; be careful about

texting while walking, carrying bulky loads which obstruct your

view.

Ask for assistance, where appropriate, and use lifting

equipment rather than attempting to ‘manhandle’ heavy/bulky

items.

Safety In Labs

Use common sense!

Lasers

Radiation

Cryogens

Chemicals

Gas cylinders/pressure vessels

Moving parts (machines)

Hoists/lifting equipment

High voltage



Lone Working

University policy is to limit ‘lone working’ as much as possible

Avoid hazardous tasks when alone – basically, anything which scores

higher than a 5 on the risk assessment

Local rules apply



Working After Hours

The buildings are usually locked at 6pm. You can, of course, continue

to work as late as you like – taking into account the lone working rules.

Anyone with a mobility requirement should contact Dr Cassandra

Churchwell and arrange for a ‘Personal Emergency Evacuation

Procedure’ (PEEP) to be written.

Anyone with other health issues should also inform one of the safety

coordinators so we can assess any special precautions needed.



Travel

All travel must have a risk assessment. This is the responsibility of your

supervisor, but you should be aware of what the assessment contains.

It's not helpful unless you see it! Ask to see it before travelling.

You are also required to apply for travel insurance prior to travelling. This

will cover you for a variety of situations. Talk to your supervisor or

Gemma Harman, School Administrator, for details.

Note: If driving your own car, you must get business insurance or you will

NOT be covered!

You should expect to undergo additional training at most external sites

(eg. CERN, SNOlab - all require site-specific training and the RAs will

reflect this.)



Display Screen Equipment

Employees of the School who will be using display screen equipment,

such as a personal computer and monitor, as a routine part of their work

activities should undertake the online assessment tool and note any

actions to their supervisor or line manager:

www.learninglink.ac.uk/keepfit/index.htm

Follow this link to view the University Display Screen Equipment Policy

and associated material:

www.sussex.ac.uk/hso/policies/hsopolicies



Smoking Policy

All University buildings are smoke free

• Smokers should be at least 3m away from a building

• Try to avoid areas near doors, open windows and air inlets

• Be considerate

• University policy treats e-cigarettes as identical to regular cigarettes



Environmental matters:

Waste/Recycling

• Always consider disposal costs/methods before purchasing or bringing

equipment/substances on the premises.

• Only buy as much as you need – reduced costs for bulk buys may well

be a false economy when you consider subsequent disposal costs!

• Dispose of waste in the appropriate manner; radioactive waste, clinical

waste, etc. Ask if you are unsure of the appropriate waste stream.

• Recycle wherever possible



Environmental Matters:

Utilities Conservation

Cost of electricity and gas to the University is in the £millions!

• Save energy by switching off lights and equipment when not needed

• Equipment left in stand-by mode still uses energy

• Switch off equipment not in use overnight and at the weekend

• Enable the hibernate functions on your pc and monitor (contact ITS if you

need help with this)

• We also pay for water – so use it wisely and report any leaks or wastage



TeachingYou are in charge of the students and are responsible for describing the

fire escapes at the beginning of a class.

You are not the fire warden.

Maintenance RequestsPlease send these to [email protected] or to Dr Cassandra Churchwell

rather than the Service Centre

EmergenciesCall 3333 or 7777 (depending on emergency)



mailto:[email protected]



If something does go wrong or you simply require

advice, contact one of the MPS Safety Coordinators:

Dr Cassandra Churchwell 5A42B

[email protected]

Gemma Harman 3A20 (main office)

Starting 12/2/18

mailto:[email protected]



Your best chance to avoid accidents is to use common

sense!

The person who can keep you safest is you.

Always think before you act.

Do your own risk assessment in your head before doing

anything.

Remember you are responsible for yourself and everyone

around you. If in doubt, ask before trying something silly!

There are lots of people who can help; we're here to teach

and are happy to share our experience.



For further safety information,

please access the Health and Safety website at:

www.sussex.ac.uk/hso

Your actions:

Familiarise yourself with your nearest emergency exits

Carry out the online DSE assessment

Read the local rules and RAs in your lab

Complete the Laboratory and Office Safety Briefing form

and return to Dr Cassandra Churchwell

MPS Health and Safety induction presentation

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